Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
by iasons
Summary: Who knew that Vegas would be a city placed under martial law? An extremist splinter group of the D.U.P. has come into power and Conduits are starting to drop like flies. Add in a genius Latina and the heroes of Seattle, you might have a winning team. Possibly. Depends on their mood. Welcome to "fabulous" Las Vegas, everyone! Enjoy your stay! Because you can't leave, like, ever.
1. Homecoming

**A/N: Hello, all! Come inside and enjoy yourself! Here you will find (hopefully) a realistic plot and believable original characters, proper character representation and all the good stuff in between! I should mention that I'm fairly new to the inFAMOUS realm, so if I mess up on the lore, please let me know! I really enjoyed playing Second Son and I wanted to expand the world of that game a little, but in a different place. ****So shatter any preconceived notions you have about Vegas because y**ou're about to see Vegas from the local perspective in this story. (Yep, the author is a Las Vegas local who doesn't live in a casino.)

**Hopefully you all can bear with me since I'm slow to update things. It's okay to blame college and work, cause it's true. So I apologize in advance! I'll try to update once a month, but I make no guarantees. Don't make promises you can't keep, kiddies! This will probably be slow in the beginning, put with most stories it'll pick up. Just be patient, okay?**

_**Summary:**_

_**Who knew that Vegas would be a city placed under martial law? An extremist splinter group of the D.U.P. has come into power and Conduits are starting to drop like flies. Add in a genius Latina and the heroes of Seattle, you might have a winning team. Possibly. Depends on their mood.**_  
_**Welcome to "fabulous" Las Vegas, everyone! Enjoy your stay! Because you can't leave, like, ever.**_

* * *

_"Someday, somewhere - anywhere, unfailingly, you'll find yourself, and that, and only that, can be the happiest or bitterest hour of your life."_  
― Pablo Neruda

* * *

There was a neat set of lines, three actually, of prisoners that shuffled towards the large stainless steel tables. At each table sat three people dressed in black or grey suits and were mechanically handing bags of old personal belongings. They would call to a person in line in case the person behind the table was preoccupied with helping someone. Elisa Gutierrez shifted her weight on both her feet, butterflies flapping their wings erratically in her stomach. She couldn't believe it was happening. After almost four years of being incarcerated at Curdun Cay, Elisa was going to walk out a free woman. Elisa found herself clutching her hands tightly together as a way to remind herself that she really wasn't dreaming.

It was just a few more people in front of, five or so by Elisa's count. There was a middle-aged woman with peppered hair tied back in a neat bun and tapered glasses that kept slipping down her long nose. Her voice was sharp and a cracked from years of smoking, but she carried herself with the utmost respect. Only three more people now…

"Hey, yo," Sam asked behind Elisa. "Know whatchu gonna do when you're out?"

Elisa shook her heard, "Nah, I never gave it much thought because I never thought I'd get out." Sam chuckled.

"Same here, El. Fuck…" Sam sighed and rubbed his chin. "I'll probably just head back to San Diego or some shit."

"I'd probably head back to Vegas, but I don't know if there's anything for me back there," Elisa said, lacing her fingers behind her neck. There was her brother though… Elisa was one person away from the table. She felt like puking or pissing her pants because she was so anxious. To ease her anxiety, she bounced her leg and took deep breaths. Sam was probably just as nervous, though he didn't show it.

"Gutierrez, Elisa Beatríz?" the woman in glasses called. Elisa stepped forward and presented her ID badge. The woman took it, scanned it and wrote down something in neat cursive on the stack of papers in front of her. Unsure of what to do with her hands, Elisa folded her fingers together in front of her. A man from behind the table, wearing a guard uniform handed the woman a medium-sized bag.

Elisa took the bag with shaking hands. The woman, with her sharp eyes, took notice. The woman chuckled and looked up at Elisa. "Relax Gutierrez. If you survived this shithole, then you can survive the shithole out there." Elisa just gave the woman a blank look before walking away with her bag of former belongings. Inside the bag were the clothes she wore coming to Curdun Cay and not much else was inside from what Elisa could see.

She waited for Sam near the entrance. He gave a curt nod and they walked out the gates together, slinging their bags over their shoulders.

"I don't think these clothes will even fit me anymore," Elisa remarked as they walked. Sam nodded in agreement. While incarcerated, they had both lost a notable amount of weight. Curdun Cay wasn't big on "properly" feeding their inmates. "There's a changing station over there. Wanna meet at the bus?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Sam replied and started walking to where the male inmates were changing back into civilian clothes. Elisa made her way to where the other women were getting out of their highlighter orange jumpsuits. Finding an empty stall, Elisa took out her old clothes and shook them out. It felt so bizarre to her, seeing something that felt so old in her hands. Elisa gently rubbed the fabric with her fingers. It was still soft, even if it smelt like dust.

Elisa slipped into her white summer dress that fell to her mid-thighs before tying the thin, brown belt that kept the dress in place. The dress used to go to her knees… Did she grow that much? As she dug through the bag, Elisa noticed there weren't any socks to wear under her boots. She huffed and decided to look on the brightside: she was a free woman again. She was surprised that her wedge heel boots still fit her, but the cropped leather jacket was a different story. The sleeves covered her hands completely and the shoulders sagged.

But it didn't matter much at the end of it all to Elisa. She smiled to herself a little as she walked out. Sam looked small in his baggy clothes too. His shirt and jeans sagged as they walked towards the buses that would take them to a nearby train station.

"_Ay_*, You look like a walking garbage bag!" Elisa chuckled. Sam rubbed the back of his shaved head and laughed.

"Yeah, but you be lookin' like a white garbage bag though, Flashlight," Sam replied with a small shove. Elisa waved him off with a smile.

"You still gonna call me that, even though we're out in the real world?" Elisa asked as they walked up the stairs on the bus.

"It's been around so long that I don't think I could stop," Sam replied. "There's a seat over there." Sam pointed to an empty bench near the back of the bus and the shuffled down the aisle to get it.

"I call window seat!" Elisa called, sliding down the bench.

"Course you would," Sam added, placing his bag in his lap.

"The sun makes me feel better, I can't help it," the young Latina replied with a shrug. The driver shouted for the last four groups to board before they took off. They wanted to evacuate Curdun Cay as soon as possible, preferably in a day. As the last people boarded, and the bus doors closed, it really hit Sam and Elisa that they were really leaving. As they watched Curdun Cay become a speck in the window, a weight was lifted off their shoulders.

The nightmare was finally over for them.

* * *

The train station was buzzing with activity and it reminded Elisa of a beehive. Her and Sam shuffled around together, trying to find the part of the station that had trains heading to the West coast. Sam was able to spot it, though he had to crane his neck over the sea of heads. Clutching their tickets, the two made their way to the WC Line gate.

"Shit," Elisa said. "This feels so… weird."

"Fuckin' right, Flashlight," Sam replied as they walked in sync to the gate. No one paid them much mind. To Normals, they looked like a bunch of runaway kids trying to make the train before it left. They made it a minute before the doors closed and gave the conductor their tickets. Sam and Elisa ceremoniously threw their old D.U.P. clothes away and pooled their money together with the other passengers to get some food at the gas station the bus stopped at.

When they sat down, both sighed and melted into the plush seating. Satisfied smiles grew on their faces and they both chuckled.

"I could fall asleep right now, _Roca Chico_*," Elisa said as she laid her legs out. The car they sat in was practically empty, save for a few businessmen that sat near the front. It was nice, having such space between the other passengers in the car.

"I think I might join you. We won't get to our stops for a while," Sam replied, taking up the room on the armrests. The train started to slowly move and within minutes the train had left the station. Another moment for both of them that cemented that they really were free.

"Dude, I haven't been this comfortable in forever. _Me perdí esto_*…" Elisa yawned, reclined her seat back. Sam nodded his head and mimicked Elisa. Both rested their feet in the chairs opposite to them and soon fell asleep, the rocking motion of the train lulling them to sleep.

Their nap was short lived when a trolley of food wheeled past them. Neither of them didn't have nearly enough money to pay for the food unfortunately. The man pushing the cart huffed and mumbled something about dirty teenagers. As the trolley was nearing the door to the next car, Elisa smirked at Sam before running to the cart and back, faster than he could blink, with sandwiches and soda in her hands.

"Goddamn I appreciate your powers, El," Sam said in a low voice taking a ham sandwich and a bottle of Dr. Pepper. "Thank god we're sitting in the back."

"For sure. I didn't know I was so hungry," Elisa said as she unwrapped a bowl of pasta salad. She held up her water bottle, "Cheers, _amigo_*." Elisa said with a smile as they clinked bottles. Sam chuckled and chugged the Dr. Pepper like his life depended on it.

The flavor exploded in Elisa's mouth and tried not to moan loudly. "Holy shit… I literally having an orgasm in my mouth right now." Sam could only nod in response, as he too was experiencing an orgasm of flavor. "Jesus, take my taste buds to Heaven!" Elisa made the sign of the cross and continued stuffing her face, a content smile on her face.

* * *

"_Approaching the limits of San Diego, California. All passengers please collect your belongings_," the intercom announced. Ever since they made the stop at L.A., Sam was on edge and Elisa could tell. To be able to go home after six years… It must've felt unsettling. Would his family take him in? Were they even still in San Diego? How different would things be after everything that happened?

There wasn't much Elisa could say, but what could she say? Elisa wrapped her arm around Sam, hugging him and trying to instill some positive vibes.

"I'm scared, Elisa," Sam said in a nervous voice.

"I know," Elisa replied in a quiet voice, rubbing his shoulders.

For the rest of the ride, they were quiet. Sam was shaking a little as they got nearer and nearer to San Diego. Then the train station came into view and the train began to slow down. After what felt like an eternity later, the train finally stopped. Sam was glued to his seat, looking out to the San Diego skyline that glowed in the night with a far-off look.

"Sam?" Elisa gently nudged his shoulder.

"Yeah?" he replied, still looking out the window. Elisa took a small breath before speaking again.

"You're gonna miss your stop."

"I don't know if I can…" Sam's voice trailed off. Elisa sighed, took his hand and helped him stand. She helped get his bag from the rack above the seats and led him to the door behind a line of other people. They both seemed to move mechanically, not really knowing that they were actually moving.

"_Vamos hermano. Que estás en casa, ahora_*," Elisa handed him his bag of belongings. At the other end of the platform were two government officials; one holding a list of last names and Sam's was on there.

"Huntington," Sam said in a far off voice. "That's me…"

"At least they're considerate enough to give us rides back to our old homes," Elisa thought. Sam leaned his head to the side in consideration. They both recognized a few Conduits from Curdun Cay with the officials, peaking their curiosity a little.

"Who knew Skinny Jay lived in San Diego," Elisa said with a small laugh, trying her best not to cry.

Sam turned around to face Elisa and both had tears in their eyes. Both were failing miserably to not cry. They hugged one another as tight as they could. To think of all the things they had been through hell together. Sam was able to keep her steady throughout those three and a half years, and that was a bond that couldn't be forgotten or undone. Sam had become her brother and they kept each other steady during their time in Curdun Cay.

"I'm gonna miss you, Flashlight."

"Me too, Roca Chico."

"Try to keep in touch, 'kay?"

"Yeah, I will. I'll try and find you on Facebook or something, alright?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Both chuckled and smiled before Sam walked down to the platform, waving goodbye to one his closest friends. Elisa wiped her cheeks, but she never stopped smiling and neither did Sam.

"_Please clear the train doors_," the intercom announced. Elisa sat down quickly near the doors and kept waving till Sam walked the other way and was out of sight. She cried for a while after that. She kept wiping her cheeks and nose, sniffing. Soon the tip of Elisa's nose felt raw from rubbing it so much and she managed to calm herself down. She'd be in Vegas soon…

And then it hit her. She'd be _home_. It felt like such a foreign word to her. Her older brother was in the military, so hopefully he'd be home when she got there. God, she missed Victor. When she found out she was a Conduit, it was Victor who took her in and moved to Vegas from their parent's home in Albuquerque. Victor was more of an uncle than older brother, due to the almost 20 year age difference. Still, Victor was one of the few people Elisa was close to besides Sam and the small trio of friends she had back home.

Elisa leaned her head against the window and watched the desert landscape zoom passed her. Her heart pounded in her chest, knowing she was getting closer and closer to Las Vegas. The lights of small towns like Barstow and Baker went passed. Elisa felt tense and bobbed her legs up and down to try and stay calm. That anxious feeling she had when she was checking out of Curdun Cay came back in full force. She was thankful she was the only one in the car now as she was making noises that would annoy most people.

Within an hour and a half the lights of Las Vegas came into view. Elisa leaned in her seat to get a better look and clutched the hem of her dress tightly. She nearly cried when the Strip came into view. She started listing all the names of the casinos in her head: the Mandalay Bay, the Luxor, Excalibur, the Venetian, MGM Grand, the New York-New York, the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace.

Seeing such a familiar sight made her feel fuzzy and warm and Elisa couldn't help but smile a little. Elisa noticed there was a large Ferris wheel added to the Strip. Probably a nice, new attraction for the tourists Elisa thought. The whole Las Vegas valley started to glow now and Elisa was amazed by how much it grew while she was gone. She felt like a stranger almost despite having lived here since she was nine.

Not even a half hour later did they pull up the station. Just like in all the other stops, two government officials waited with a list of last names for Conduits they would escort back home. But for some reason, Elisa caught a familiar face from the many times she met her brother's military friends. Her last name wasn't even on the list the officials had.

"_Now stopping in Las Vegas, Nevada. Passengers, please collect your belongings. The next stop will be Phoenix, Arizona_."

Taking her bag, Elisa descended down the steps to the platform towards the sharply dressed army man. The other Conduits meanwhile met with the officials and were led to the oh-so cozy looking Hummers.

"Colonel Young?" she asked. The colonel nodded politely and took two steps forward. "Permission to know why you're here?" Elisa asked in a slightly joking voice. Despite her little joke, the colonel maintained his stoic appearance. There was sadness in his eyes and it made Elisa's heart drop.

"Miss Gutierrez," he started, "I am here to escort you back to your brother's loft. However," he paused and held his cap in his hands, "I have… very terrible news to share."

* * *

Elisa was dead silent the whole ride back to the lofts in Mandarin Oriental in CityCenter. Tears fell silently and she tried to look less of a mess by cooling her face with water that the colonel gave her. When they walked in, Colonel Young did most of the talking. Elisa didn't care about how the man at the desk kept looking at her like she was a bomb about to explode. Colonel Young was able to get the keys to the loft and they rode the elevator to the 47th floor.

"Luckily, your brother was able to save most of your belongings while you were… away," Colonel Young spoke carefully. "He wrote in his will that he wanted you to have his loft and to receive a significant portion of his military benefits till you became more established. As soon as you're employed, you and your parents will receive an equal share. He lobbied very hard for your case in Congress, but he could never get any traction unfortunately. You have friends in your brother's battalion, Elisa. None of us think of you as a Bio-terrorist. We know you. If you ever need anything, just give me a call."

While he spoke, they walked down the hallway towards the door to their room. He handed Elisa his information card and a large manila envelope stuffed with items Victor wanted her to have.

Colonel Young unlocked the door and led them inside. Elisa almost gasped; it was exactly as she remembered it. The walls were a little barren and the furniture was covered with plastic wrap, but it was still the same. Even smelt the same. Elisa stood in the living room, feet planted on the ground.

"There's food already stocked in the fridge and pantry," Colonel Young said as he turned the lights on. Elisa took small steps inside and walked to the door towards her room. It looked like a little kid's room: frosty pink colored walls, Christmas lights that hung around the room close to the ceiling, posters of bands Elisa forgot about. It felt foreign.

"Elisa?" the colonel asked. She turned around and joined the colonel in the kitchen. "There are a few things I'd like to go over with you before I leave." She nodded. "In the manila envelope are instructions to…"

A noise outside caught their attention and they walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window to see what was causing it. Colonel Young sucked his teeth and groaned. In the central courtyard in CityCenter, was a large group of protestors. More than half were speaking using megaphones and speakers. It was no wonder Elisa and Young could hear them from so far away.

"I can't really hear them. What're they protesting?" Elisa asked. Young sighed and rubbed his face.

"They're this extreme right-wing group, a splinter of the D.U.P. They call themselves the 'Genesis Group,'" Young explained. "They popped up a few months ago after Augustine's exploits were revealed, living in very strong denial about the whole issue. They think Conduits like you should be locked up still, not integrated back into society."

"How long have they been in Vegas?" Elisa asked as they walked back to the kitchen.

"Little over a month, and they're getting bigger in number. Mostly because people like them are so scared of change, especially with Conduits."

"Any violence or anything?"

"There was one riot a week ago, but not too much damage. Don't worry, Elisa. If things get out of hand, the fells at Nellis Air Force Base and the LVPD will contain the situation."

"Right," Elisa said with a nod. "Okay."

"Now, back to this paperwork."

* * *

The first thing Elisa did when Young left was open a bottle of tequila and start drinking. She wanted to get stinking, roaring drunk till she couldn't feel feelings anymore. Inside the envelope was a picture of her brother in uniform, Brigadier General Victor David Gutierrez, K.I.A.; along with the medals he won for his services. The rest was just a bunch of papers that she had to fill out and mail, along with access to her brother's personal fund that he left her.

All night Elisa drank and looked at the picture of her brother, crying every now and again. The protesters eventually left, and the symphony of Las Vegas played in the background. Elisa drank and drank till she passed out on the bar stool, her head resting on the island counter. She didn't wake up till the late afternoon. With her head throbbing, she took two Advil's and chugged two water bottles.

"Fuck," she sighed and rubbed her eyes. Grabbing another water bottle, Elisa dragged herself to the bathroom and set the shower to a nice, lukewarm temperature. She mourned her brother all night and that would be the end of it. For now she wanted to do right by him. But first thing's first: bathe.

* * *

For the better part of the afternoon Elisa tried getting the loft back to the way it was. After mailing all the necessary paperwork, and ignoring the dirty looks from her neighbors, Elisa started unwrapping the plastic from the furniture. If there was one benefit to being a Conduit, was the enhanced strength and endurance. It definitely made moving the heavier furniture much easier.

Once Elisa was done with the living room and kitchen, she moved to her brother's room. Her brother's room was completely empty, save for the bed frame, the dresser and nightstands, and a few pictures. It made her sad, but Elisa swallowed her tears and started to dust and clean the hardwood floors. By midnight, the loft was back to the way it used to be. Elisa planned on making changes to her room as soon as she could.

Feeling lazy, and a little hungover still, Elisa ordered an extra large pizza and a serving of wings, paying with cash in the safe her brother had. And holy shit did that pizza smell amazing! Elisa almost didn't want to eat it, but with the loud growling stomach she ate a little over half the pizza and all the wings. In less than twenty minutes. She laid there on the couch for a while, watching a movie on Netflix using her brother's PS4.

It was nearing the climax of the movie when the same protesters from yesterday showed up again. Elisa sighed and turned up the volume louder to drown out their yelling, but curiosity got the better of her and she walked to the window to see the commotion. It was the same as yesterday, but it looked like there were a few more people than before.

"Hmm, they could get annoying real fast," Elisa mused aloud. She decided to Google them once the movie was over. And to make a list of things she would need. And a list of people she needed to get into contact with. She would be busy for the next few days.

* * *

Translations:

_Ay_ – an exclamation, i.e. "Oh!"

_Roca Chico_ – Rock Boy

_Vamos hermano. Que estás en casa, ahora_ – Let's go, brother. You're home, now.

_Amigo_ – friend (masculine)


	2. The Compound

**A/N: So as I'm sure you all have guessed, this is based on the Good Karma ending. I considered basing this on the Evil Karma ending, but I decided not to. I didn't dig the vibes Evil Delsin was giving off, but that's just me. My face-claim for Elisa is Camila Banus. If you watch soap operas, specifically **_**Days of Our Lives**_**, she plays Gabi Hernandez. You can Google her and see her pretty face for yourself! Thank you to those that reviewed! Here's the next installment! **

* * *

"_We rarely confide in those who are better than we. Most often, on the other hand, we confess to those who are like us and who share our weaknesses. Hence we don't want to improve ourselves and be bettered, for we should first have to be judged in default. We merely wish to be pitied and encouraged in the course we have chosen." _

― Albert Camus

* * *

**Two Months Later**

Elisa gave the engine a little more juice as she sped down the highway. She was a little surprised at how it was, considering it was a weekend. She'd think a lot of families would be out and about getting lunch or something. Y'know… those normal family activities. Elisa looked down to the dashboard of her motorcycle to see how she was doing on gas. There was about a quarter tank left, according to the little needle. Elisa noticed a sign saying that there was a gas station less than half a mile away. She could make that if she didn't get too crazy with the speeding.

Making sure she was clear, Elisa changed lanes so that she could turn left to get to the gas station. Within minutes the turn came up and Elisa pulled up to one of the pumps. Putting her bike in park, Elisa turned off the ignition and pulled out the kickstand. She took off her helmet and shook out her hair, hoping that it would get rid of her helmet hair. Or at least the look of it. Having helmet hair was gross. Elisa tucked her helmet under her arm and walked into the small convenient store. A small alarm beeped and a short old man with a white mustache appeared from the back room, wiping his hands.

"Hullo," the man said. Elisa smiled and nodded politely. She walked to the counter and took out her wallet.

"For number 2," she said handing him two twenty-dollar bills. The man nodded and punched in a few numbers to open the register. Elisa looked down at the candy options and grabbed a Twix. "I'll take this too," she said handing him another two dollars. He nodded and placed the money in the register. He looked out the window briefly, then did a double take when he saw Elisa's motorcycle.

"That bike's yours?" Elisa nodded and the man gave a low whistle. "Is that a Ducati?"

"Yeah, it's a Monster 696," Elisa replied. "Old birthday gift from my older brother." The old man gave a chuckle.

"Some brother you got," he said as he closed the register. "You're good to go."

"Yeah," Elisa said dipping her head a little. Her brother was still a sore subject. "Thanks." Elisa used her hips to open the door and started walking back to her bike. While she was filling up, she munched on one of the Twix bars. Wait… did she remember to charge her camera battery? Probably, but just to be on the safe, Elisa held the Twix bar between her teeth like a cigarette and zipped open her small travel bag that was strapped to the seat.

Elisa turned on the camera for a quick second, the camera made that lens opening noises it did whenever it was turned on. The screen showed the battery was fully charged, making Elisa feel better knowing she didn't forget. Elisa turned her camera off and placed it back in her bag.

"Nice wheels," a voice said after giving a low whistle. Elisa looked up and took a bite out of her candy bar. Some guy around her age wearing a beanie and too many layers shot her a cheeky smile as he admired her ride. Well, well. It was the Hero of Seattle himself.

"Thanks," Elisa replied a little curtly, stuffing the other candy bar in her mouth. "Birthday gift."

"Man, I'd love to give something like this a spin," Delsin said taking a few steps closer and crouching down to get a better look at the gears. He almost swooned over this bike it was so beautiful! Elisa rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Nevada license plate? You're an awful long way from home." Elisa physically flinched when Delsin mispronounced the state name.

"First of all, it's Nev_a_da, not Nev_ah_da! We don't live on the East Coast." At that, Delsin raised his hands in mock surrender. Were people from Nevada always that touchy when someone mispronounced their state? (Yes. They were in case you were wondering.) "And, if you must know, I'm here to build up my visual resume."

"'Visual resume?'" he repeated, poking his head above the seat, his brow raised.

"Yes, visual resume. I want to be a photographer for magazines… like _National Geographic_ or a major newspaper." God that was such a lame excuse and she knew it, but it seemed enough to convince Delsin though.

"You do seem like the artsy type," he said has he stood up, briefly looking her up and down. She was pretty cute. Well, maybe more than that. This girl before him was smoking hot with her long, wavy black hair, dark brown eyes and light brown skin and interesting array of tattoos on her forearms. What could he say? Delsin had a soft spot for girls with ink. She looked Hispanic too. And damn did her butt look great in those skinny jeans!

"At least you picked a lovely spot. The Akomish rez has a lot of scenic spots to chose from." Delsin bragged with a smirk and took a few steps back once Elisa put the gas pump away and mounted her bike.

"So I've read," Elisa said in a flat voice, turning on her motorcycle. Geez, talk about being aloof, Delsin thought. "How can I get to the West Point Lighthouse from here?" She pulled out a map from her back pocket and held it open. She also pulled out a pen. "If you could mark it, I'd appreciate it." Okay, maybe she wasn't _that_ bad. Probably just a girl on a mission.

"Uh… Yeah, sure. No prob," Delsin took the pen and traced a line on the map, leaving notes on where to turn along the way there. He handed Elisa her pen and map back. "Hope that helps, but couldn't you just Google map it?"

"Hard to drive a bike and look at your phone at the same time. Besides, I remember directions easier if I see written down or drawn out."

"Ah. Guess that makes sense." Delsin replied, leaning his head to the side in consideration. He was a pretty visual person himself. He clapped his hands together. "In any case, good luck with your… uh, visual resume thing-y."

"Thanks," Elisa revved up the engine and scooted her bike forward towards the curb to get onto the street.

"I'm Delsin, by the way," he held out his hand for her to shake. Elisa smiled like she had a secret.

"Yeah, I know who you are," she said with a laugh. Delsin, out of habit, gave her a smirk but the rest of his was mixed with confusion.

"You – you do?" he scoffed.

"Oh, don't be modest. It doesn't suit someone of your personality," Elisa replied. She smirked back at him. "You're face was practically all over the news for weeks. Not too mention you're basically hailed as a hero for what you did. I mean, exposing all the crap the D.U.P. did? I'm surprised they didn't give you a medal or something for it." Her smirk changed into a smile. "Nice to meet the Hero of Seattle in person though. Never thought I'd get to, to be honest."

Delsin laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know about 'hero'…"

"Give yourself some credit. You did a pretty good public service," Elisa replied with a smile and put her helmet on. She lifted her visor and quickly introduced herself. "I'm Elisa by the way!" she had to yell a little so that Delsin could hear her. He nodded and said that it was nice to meet her. Elisa smiled and lowered her visor before heading onto the street. She, of course, looked both ways before getting on the street. Safety first after all.

* * *

Within a few minutes, Elisa pulled up the lighthouse with ease. All thanks to the directions Delsin gave her. Sure enough though, just as Elisa suspected, a modest six-foot gate trimmed with some cute barbed wire at the top surrounded the lighthouse. The decals stenciled on were the Genesis logo and their tagline: "Back to the beginning."

Gross. Elisa took off her helmet and placed on top of her bag. Turning off engine and making sure her bike stood still on the kickstand, Elisa took out her camera and walked up to the gate.

She knocked on the metal, listening carefully to the sound. It felt thin and light, like the gate was built in a hurry. Elisa took a few pictures of the gate, getting close ups of the logos. For a moment, Elisa wondered how a group like Genesis was able to make a hub here without anyone noticing. They might've built this during the day, posing as a regular construction company or some kind of restoration program to build something like this. Elisa walked up to the gate entrance and held the large padlock in her hands.

Putting the camera neck strap around her, Elisa pushed the doors some to see how far they would crack open. They didn't open much, only a couple inches. Humming, Elisa picked up the padlock again and grasped it tightly. A burst of light escaped her hand and the padlock fell with a clunk to the ground, hissing from the heat. Elisa pushed one of the gate doors open and started walking towards the lighthouse.

The door to the lighthouse was locked on the otherside. Taking a few steps back, Elisa raised her foot and kicked down the door. It still hung limply from the hinges, but it's not like anyone was coming back to this place anytime soon. The main building was small, not very large for a place of operations. A few desks lined the walls and looked like someone had already ransacked the place. Papers were strewn all over the floor, desk drawers were thrown haphazardly around and a few chairs were missing and so were a few computers.

Elisa walked up to one of the desks in the back, the one that didn't seem nearly as… robbed. The first thing that caught her eye was a dark green folder next to the Dell computer.

"Who still uses Dell?" she asked herself as she looked through the papers. It didn't contain anything valuable. Mostly it was just boring paperwork about finances. That is until Elisa noticed a title on one of the pages. In big, bold letters it read: **QUARTERLY SPENDING AND INCOME, JULY - SEPTEMBER 2016**.

Delsin's exposure of Augustine happened in March that year, and Young said that Genesis started popping up only a few weeks after that. It really didn't take them that long apparently to get some ground in with the money.

"Must've appealed to state politicians to get this much funding so quickly," Elisa said to herself. According to the chart, Genesis was receiving money from politicians and CEOs of private companies to help fund their little crusade on July 4th (how ironic). The money Genesis was receiving put election donation money to shame. Of course Genesis would be receiving money otherwise they wouldn't have caused all that trouble in Vegas and other cities. Still, these numbers were absolutely ridiculous.

"Christ," Elisa whispered. Getting her camera, Elisa started taking pictures of Genesis' finances. A few of the politicians who donated money to Genesis were listed, as were the CEOs and other organizations. Elisa noticed that most of the people listed had their operations based in the Southwest or California. The people listed in Nevada Elisa could get to, but the California based ones, and the ones in Arizona and New Mexico, she'd need help with. Pulling out her phone, Elisa typed a quick message to Sam.

_Remember the Genesis group I told you about? How much trouble have they been causing in SD?_ After pressing the send button, Elisa tucked her phone in her bra and continued looking around. Nothing else stood out, so Elisa walked towards the backroom. If Elisa thought the main entrance was a mess, the backroom was even worse.

"Shit," Elisa said in a low voice and was careful to not step on the broken glass. There was a wide file cabinet under the window, a large map of the continental United States on the far wall with push-pins in major cities in the Southwest, a desk in front of said map and a busted up computer that had seen it's prime in 1997. Elisa crouched next to the file cabinet, reading the labels for the drawers. Her phone buzzed in her bra and Elisa looked at the screen.

_Yeah, I remember. Not too much, but they're a local hazard at this point. Why you ask?_ Sam wrote back. Elisa unlocked her phone and started typing her reply.

_Checking something out in WA. I'll give you details later_. She put her phone back in her bra and opened the first drawer that caught her eye. Mostly it was progress reports and future plans Genesis had. Elisa took a few pictures of those before setting them aside and opening another drawer. Elisa wasn't able to look much when the sound of a car pulling up caught her attention.

Walking carefully back to the main entrance, a black jeep with the Genesis logo decaled on the hood had pulled up and four men emerged from the vehicle. Elisa cursed under her breath and ducked to hide. What the hell were these guys doing here? This place was supposed to be abandoned! Did these people not know the basic definition of "abandoned"?

"Can't believe the boss had us come all the way up here," one of the larger men of the group said. "You'd think someone as paranoid as him would've made sure that nothing incriminating was left behind."

"Yeah, you'd think," one of the smaller men said. "But, since the boss is a nervous son-of-a-bitch, we're here anyway."

"The fuck is a motorcycle doing here?" the third man asked. Shit. One of them placed their hands on the bike.

"Still warm. Whoever they are, they're still here," the large man said and took out his gun. "Look through that bag, see if you can find anything." Double shit! Elisa slinked back inside and tried to come up with a plan. Being a Photokinetic, she did move at the speed of light. She could leave through that window in the backroom, circle around… But they'd still hear the engine though and open fire on her. She could take them on, but Elisa wanted to avoid a fight. Especially on Native land, that was asking for trouble.

"Uh, guys," one of the men, said. "I think we have a female intruder." Elisa poked her head back out and nearly shrieked when she saw one of the men holding up one of her bras with his fingertips, like he was scared of getting cooties from it. Elisa felt her face burn and she inwardly groaned.

"Damn. If so she's got tiny ass boobs," the fourth man commented. Okay, that was a bit of a low blow, Elisa thought in the back of her mind. She didn't need reminding that she wasn't the most buxom woman out there.

"Fuck these guys," Elisa said under her breath. Placing the camera in the corner of the room, she walked towards the doorway and stood there, warming up her powers. "Hey! _Idiotas_!" All four men turned around and pulled out their guns, aiming for her. "Mind putting my knickers away?"

One of the men fired, but Elisa stood there completely unfazed. The bullet only grazed her shoulder, so what was there for her to be scared of? A soft light emitted from her wound and the wound started healing quickly.

"Oh shit! She's a Bio-terrorist!" the large man shouted.

"You're goddamn right!" Elisa ran a few steps and jumped into the air, using her powers as a boost. She landed on the ground hard, a blinding light emitting from her when she landed hard on the ground. The men cried out and were blinking rapidly to try and get their vision back to normal. Elisa smirked and charged forward for the larger man. "But I prefer you use the word Conduit!"

She kicked him square in the jaw, subduing him with another flash of light to his eyes. The other three started firing at her, or rather around her since they still couldn't properly see. Running towards them, Elisa used her powers to move fast between them, adding to their confusion.

"Where is she-?"

"Running off to?" Elisa finished the man's sentence, standing behind him. She punched him hard in the kidneys, knocking him out. The other two regained their vision and started aiming for Elisa. Flashing at different points as she ran, she made it difficult for them to get a hit on her.

Elisa appeared for a brief moment and shot a few beams at one of the men firing. Taking hits to both his shoulders, they didn't do much damage other than stunning him. Elisa repeated this when she aimed for his head so she could subdue him. The third man fell to the ground, groaning and holding his head. The last man standing stood there shaking, staring at Elisa with wide, frightened eyes. He started pissing his pants.

"I gotta get outta here!" he shrieked as he dropped his gun and started running towards the gate entrance, a trail following behind him.

"Oh no you don't," Elisa replied and using her powers, appeared in front of him in a flash before he could even blink. The man nearly ran into her and he skidded on the ground as he tried to stop. He ended up falling and landing on his ass.

"Please don't kill me," he begged, his hands up and head bowed. Elisa scoffed.

"I'm not gonna kill you," she replied. The man sighed with relief and nearly collapsed onto the ground. "But I do have some questions for you."

The man gulped nervously.

* * *

It was sunset now and Elisa was making her way back. The trip to Vegas would be about two days and she honestly didn't feel like staying up that long. Instead, she opted to spend the night at one of the cheap motels on the Akomish rez.

As it turns out, Genesis cronies aren't the most loyal of subjects. Elisa wasn't able to get much information out of that last crony, he even said himself that he was low on the command chain. Though he did offer the ledger on who helped supply the Genesis group with weapons in Vegas. After that Elisa knocked him out and left the compound without looking back.

Elisa pulled up to the Little Eagle Motel, parking near the office. Taking her bag, she walked inside the lobby. Behind the counter was a young woman, a little younger than Elisa, who looked bored to tears as she flipped through a magazine. She didn't even look up when Elisa stood in front of the desk.

"How long you stayin'?" she asked.

"Just for the night," Elisa replied and pulled out her wallet. "How much for that?"

"95 even," the young woman said. She chuckled as she skimmed through the paragraph she was reading and reached behind her to hand Elisa a room key. Elisa placed the money on the counter and took the key.

"Anything good to eat around here?" Elisa asked, putting her wallet away.

"There's Tommy's diner down the street. Burger's are pretty good," the young woman replied in a disinterested voice. "I'd stay away from the fish sandwiches though. It'll give you the shits."

"_Gracias_," Elisa said walking back outside to her room a few doors down. She had to give the door a little push for it to open, but the room itself wasn't bad. Truth be told, it could've been much worse. Elisa threw her things onto the bed and sat down on the small armchair near the window. Elisa pulled out her phone and dialed Sam's number. After three rings, he picked up.

"_Sup, Flashlight?_" he greeted.

"Hey, sorry I didn't give you much details earlier. I was a little preoccupied."

"'_S all good. What'd you find out?_"

"So, I uncovered who's helping fund Genesis. Mostly it's the rich and politicians, big shocker there, right?" Implied sarcasm.

"_Yeah, totally didn't see that comin' at all, Flashlight_." More implied sarcasm.

"But get this, a few charity organizations are in on it too. That part I don't get. I mean, I know change freaks most people out, but seriously? I need to do a little more digging."

"_That is weird, yeah. What else did you find out?_"

"Not much else, though I did run into a few Genesis goons and one of them was kind enough to share how they get their weapons."

"_You beat him up, didn't you?_"

"That is… totally beside the point!" Elisa said with a chuckle. "If you want, you can visit the houses of those representing San Diego in Congress. I'll forward you their information. Let me know if you find anything out?"

"_Sounds good, Flashlight. If I find anything interesting, I'll send it your way._"

"_Muchas gracias_!" Elisa said in a sing-songy voice. Sam chuckled.

"_Denada!_" Elisa put her phone in her pocket after hanging up. She stood up and stretched, her stomach growling. After a day of investigating and road tripping, Elisa didn't realize how hungry she was. Grabbing the keys to her bike and for her room, she walked outside, locking the door behind her. A cheeseburger did sound really good right about now…

* * *

Elisa rubbed her belly happily as she walked out of the diner. Ever since she got out of Curden Cay, food always tasted so much better. Giving a rather unlady-like burp, Elisa walked back to her motorcycle. Checking her phone for the time, she tucked it into her bra and took out her keys to start the engine.

"Hey! If it ain't my new friend, Lisa!" Delsin cheered as he walked by, waving his hand. Elisa rolled her eyes and gave him a half-smile.

"It's _E_lisa! You forgot the E," she replied, leaning forward on her bike a little. Delsin walked over to her.

"Sorry 'bout that. I'm not so good with names," he replied.

"It's fine. Most people are better at recognizing faces than remembering names," Elisa said with a small smile.

Delsin nodded his head and laughed a little. "Good to know. So, I take it that you just ate?" Elisa nodded. "That's a shame, because I was hoping a pretty girl like you could join me."

Elisa scoffed and sat up. "You should be so lucky," she replied with a smirk. "Besides, I feel a food coma coming on. I need to get to a bed ASAP."

"Fair enough. Tommy's food will do that to ya," Delsin chuckled. Then his expression changed to a slightly more serious one. "You didn't eat the fish sandwich, right?"

"No, I was forewarned, luckily," Elisa replied, putting the keys in the ignition.

"Okay, good. That shit'll do crazy things to your digestive track."

"That's what I was told," Elisa laughed and started up her bike. "I need to get going before I fall asleep while driving."

"Right. Safety first and all that," Delsin added. "It was good seeing you again," he held out his hand for her to shake. Elisa looked at it for a quick second, remembering the rumors that Delsin Rowe was like a power sponge, absorbing people's powers like it was nothing. Was that rumor even true to begin with? Well… there was one way to find.

Elisa took Delsin's hand in her's, and that's when it happened. It felt like a hard gravitational pull on Elisa's arm and then a prodding feeling like someone was looking through her brain while poking it with a stick.

Like with Fetch, Eugene, Henry and even Augustine, Delsin saw the life story of how Elisa became a Conduit. Images flashed before him and a voice, Elisa's voice, narrated everything.

* * *

_It all started with the car crash. My family was driving back after checking out this school that was for "gifted children." I scored 180 on the IQ test, and I was only nine at the time. We were driving down the highway when a car driving in the opposite lane crashed into ours. All I saw was a burst of light and before I knew it… I was standing outside of the car, watching the accident happen before me._

_My parents were terrified, thinking I was some creature that needed to be put away. My brother was the only one who defended me. Within weeks we moved to Vegas, and he became my official guardian. It was hard to control my powers, but after enough practice, it became easy. Like wearing one of those fake smiles to hide how you really feel. Then it all went to hell in a matter of minutes. _

_I helped defend an old woman from being mugged by two meth heads. I was able to hold them off till one got the jump one me. Then my powers accidently killed one of them. The old woman called the D.U.P. on me. I couldn't fight them. Didn't want to. For almost four years they trained me at Curden Cay, teaching me how to harness and hone my skills, my powers. They taught me how to fight; how to kill. When the great "Hero of Seattle" came and liberated the camp, it felt like waking up from a never-ending nightmare. Sam and I couldn't believe it. _

_We walked out of that Hell as free people. _

* * *

Elisa held her throbbing head, rubbing the back of her neck hoping it would help. Delsin meanwhile, being used to this procedure, recovered more quickly. Leaning his hands on his knees, he slowly stood up and looked at Elisa with curiosity.

"You're a Conduit?"

Elisa looked up at him, part of her hair covering her face. She bit her nervously. "Yeah, I am."


End file.
